Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago are testing a new antibiotic that could revolutionize our fight against drug-resistant bacteria.
The breakthrough could make it 100 million times more difficult for infectious microbes to transform into killer superbugs. Yet because of the broken market for novel antibiotic treatments, this laboratory research may never translate into new medicines that save lives.
Antimicrobial resistance gets little media attention, but the statistics around the issue are startling. Between now and 2050, antibiotic resistance is forecast to contribute to nearly 170 million global deaths. That’s almost 14 times the population of Illinois.
Here in Illinois, drug-resistant pathogens aren’t just on the doorstep; they’re in the house. Our state accounts for 15% of all U.S. cases of a deadly fungal superbug that’s increasingly difficult to treat. In 2017, Illinois had just 11 cases of a deadly microbe known as C. auris. In 2022 alone, we had 276 cases.
Absent novel antimicrobial medicines, the crisis will only deepen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infections spiked for six of seven high-priority superbugs over the last several years. New data projects that superbugs could cost the global economy $1 trillion by 2030 if we don’t course-correct.
But a blockage in antibiotic development is keeping new treatments from reaching patients.
The cost to develop a new antibiotic routinely exceeds $1 billion, but annual sales often struggle to reach $100 million. Why? Because over the years, medical professionals have rightly recognized that overuse of antibiotics contributes to resistance, so effective treatments should be used only when absolutely necessary.
This gap between development costs and limited revenues has created a graveyard of small biotech companies. Since 2013, the Food and Drug Administration has approved 10 antibiotics from small companies. Nearly all of those developers have faced financial ruin.
Unless we find a way to reverse these trends, we could enter an era of medicine without protection against deadly infections. Common medical conditions, like minor cuts or urinary tract infections, could become untreatable and life-threatening. Routine surgeries, from C-sections to joint replacements, could become too risky to perform.
Preventing this outcome requires rethinking how we incentivize antibiotic development. One proposed solution, the PASTEUR Act, would establish a subscription-like model for antimicrobial medicines.
Under PASTEUR, the federal government would enter into financial contracts with developers in exchange for access to newly developed antimicrobials. This would provide developers the chance to earn a predictable return on their investment. This policy change could ignite a wave of research and investment in a critical yet struggling sector.
For a state like Illinois, with its strong research institutions and growing biotech sector, an antibiotic development renaissance could translate into hundreds of jobs, increased investment, and a stronger economy.
Despite support from more than 65 members of Congress, including a lawmaker from our own state of Illinois, the PASTEUR Act still faces challenges in Washington. Every moment we delay, more companies could abandon antibiotic development, and more lives will be lost to drug-resistant infections.
The choice is stark: fix the market for antimicrobials, or face a future where common infections become deadly threats.
John Conrad is president & CEO of the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO).
The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chicago Sun-Times or any of its affiliates.
The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.
Get Opinions content delivered to your inbox.